A woman who needs to visit her elderly mum every day says she is increasingly angry at businesses and workers taking up all the neatby parking spaces.

Jill Howells, 62, says she ends up streets away from her mum's home and sometimes has to walk 20 minutes back to where she needs to be.

The midwifery care assistant visits her 87-year-old mum at Devonport Views in Wall Street, an extra-care housing for the elderly or people with disabilities, almost every day and says she is always faced with the same issue, reports The Herald .

She is now pleading for workers to either use the park and ride or for dockyard workers to park in their designated car park.

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But a spokesperson for Babcock told The Herald that they are currently "exploring a range of travel methods" to "try and provide the most sustainable options for the Naval Base and Dockyard workforce" and in turn reduce the amount of workers parking on the surrounding streets.

This time last year, The Herald reported how disgruntled residents were complaining that Babcock workers in their droves were taking up valuable spaces for local residents.

The issue had escalated to a point where they were having to park up to four streets away from their homes after workers were jamming streets, parking on pavements and grass verges.

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Jill said the situation remains critical and she claimed that it is only getting worse as days go by.

She said: “It’s a nightmare – they block everyone in and take up all the spaces.

“Most of the Babcock workers have their own parking but they often refuse to park in there because they then have to queue to get back out when they leave to go home, whereas if they’ve parked outside they can run out to their cars and make a quick exit."

Jill said the situation is making her distressed.

"I have to walk a distance to get to her," she said. "It’s valuable time I could be spending with my mum.

“My mum came down looking for me one time because I told her I was on my way and I took so long she wondered where I was."

She added: “It makes you so angry when you know they have spaces inside and they’re often sat in their cars having their lunch while I’m there driving in circles to find a space.

"You know it’s them because you see them all flood out at about 3.30pm onwards with all their tools and jump in their cars.”

“What’s more worrying is that there are four spaces outside Devonport Views for the carers and there are always ambulances and doctors visiting and they need to park outside but they take those spaces too,” she said.

Devon Community Homes which govern the Devonport Views building, refused to comment on the situation but confirmed that the spaces outside the residency were first-come, first-serve public spaces. However, there is a loading bay parking space with a drop curb which is useful for its disabled residents.

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Jill said: "One resident who uses a mobility scooter was telling me how they had parked on the drop in the curb meaning she had to go all the way around. They just don't seem to care where they park."

And the situation was not just affecting her elderly mother, as Jill claimed the stress of the parking situation often takes its toll on her own health, resulting in her fibromyalgia flaring up.

She has considered finding other transport to her mum's home but said it would be too far and hence too expensive to get a taxi from Mount Batton.

Jill suggested that Babcock staff could use the park and ride, getting a bus directly to the dockyard and in turn preventing further difficulties for residents and their families.

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: “Our parking team will look into this, in discussion with Babcock.”

(Image: Penny Cross)

A spokesperson from Babcock said: "We are exploring a range of travel methods with the Naval Base Commander to try and provide the most sustainable options for the Naval Base and Dockyard workforce.

"A car sharing trial has recently been introduced and the intention is to implement this in the future. Cycle lanes have also been introduced across the site as a further measure to encourage employees to find alternative means of travel.”

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The spokesperson added: "A number of different organisations work on the site and while there is onsite parking available for many of these workers, those who do not have designated parking are encouraged to consider alternative methods of getting into work, including the use of public transport.

"Staff are asked to be mindful of the needs of local residents and to park considerately.”